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Wheatfield woman bilked of $4,000-plus lottery-sweepstakes scam

WHEATFIELD – A Forest Parkway woman was bilked out of more than $4,000 recently through a lottery-sweepstakes scam, Niagara County sheriff’s investigators said.

The victim, authorities said, received a letter about two months ago from “American Mega Country Payment,” informing her that she had won between $250,000 and $5 million in lotteries and sweepstakes. She was asked to send payment to “cash distributors” to claim her prizes, and ended up sending money via Western Union to locations “around the world,” authorities said.

The victim received one check in return, in the amount of $3,950, but the check bounced, investigators said. The victim’s family persuaded her to stop sending money and to contact authorities. An investigation is underway.